BY DAPO AKINREFON&CHARLES KUMOLU

THE conduct and outcome of last Saturday’s local government election in Lagos State did not in any way change public impression of such an exercise on Nigeria’s political scene.

It was a contest that had the trappings of voter apathy, violence, alleged imposition, and alleged manipulation that often times,   define election at all levels in the country.

These characteristics which played out in varying measures across the 20 Local Government Areas, LGAs, and Local Council Development   Authourities ,LCDAs, left many concerned about the eventual outcome.

A woman casting her voter during the Lagos State Local Goverment election

Although the heavy downpour in the state on the election day contributed to the low turnout witnessed, Saturday Vanguard observed that most residents were less interested in the poll, which was the first in the last six years.

And that was evident at all the places visited by Saturday Vanguard, as people hardly showed enthusiasm about the exercise-a situation that better explained the public disconnect between the citizens and the state at the grassroots.

Although the All Progressives Congress, APC, was not expected to perform poorly, winning all the chairmanship positions and nearly all councillorship seats, was a development that left many with mixed feelings.

Violence and intimidation

Little wonder virtually all the parties that participated are kicking against the outcome on the grounds that the playing field was not level even on the election day.

Leading the dissenting voices, was a group of aggrieved chairmanship candidates in Labour Party, LP, and All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.

The group which had chairmanship candidates from some LGAs and LCDAs met in Lagos last Thursday and denounced the outcome of the exercise, describing it as unacceptable.

They hinged their stance on their belief that the processes leading to the election and the conduct of the poll were against democratic norms. Hence, they called on Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC, to cancel the outcome.

Most of the candidates, who spoke in turns, lamented that the poll was characterized by violence and intimidation allegedly perpetrated by APC supporters.

Those, who spoke include Mr. Ibunuola Gualin, Mainland LGA; Mr. Edwin Young, Ajeromi LGA; Mr. Olusegun Ogunsanya, Ifelodun LCDA; Mr. Emmanuel Okonkwo, Ajeromi LGA; and Mr. Albert Anyawnu, Ifelodun LCDA among others.

On his part, Gualin said: “There was no election. The process was rigged because they gave cards to those, who did not even register. It is very wrong because people were intimidated, we could not talk because there were hoodlums who were ready to attack anyone who spoke against them. It should be annulled.

“It is this type of election that makes it easy for the wrong people to emerge as leaders. There must be an end to it because leaders are supposed to emerge through a democratic process. What we had was not an election and the leadership of LASIEC should save its integrity by annulling the outcome.”

Similarly, members of Peoples Democratic Party, who gathered the same day at a different venue, rejected the outcome of the poll.

State chairman of the party, Mr. Moshood Salvador , who spoke on behalf of aggrieved party members, described the election as a sham.

Consequently, he accused the APC and LASIEC of manipulating the exercise.

Whatever opponents of APC say about the elections, the overwhelming popularity of the ruling party in the state is not in doubt. But could they have made it a 100 percent victory? That is the question.

Thugs and guns

Citing irregularities during the poll, Salvador said: “APC government in Lagos has realised that Lagosians don’t want them again. That was why they used thugs and guns to snatch ballot boxes. APC is the ruling party, if not for the fact that they saw that they were getting voted out, what was the need for the use of thugs to snatch boxes?’’

The party leader did not spare LASIEC accusing it of conniving with the ruling party to rig the election.

He said: “LASIEC also did not keep to their promise of a free and fair election. Most ballot boxes were not counted at polling units. Even those that were counted, the ballot boxes were taken to collation centres where other party agents were not allowed to enter except APC agents. That is where all the results were doctored, and votes were allocated to political parties for the returning officers to declare. That was   how APC rigged every other party out of the election.”

Not done,   he faulted the manner the LAIEC law was passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly a few days to the poll.

He said: “Let me remind you of my sharp objections and reservations to some of the sections of the LASIEC laws that protect all these wrong doings. I have more than 20 members in Police custody because they refused ballot boxes being taken away without counting the vote as ordered by the presiding officers.

‘’ Let me remind you of the Emergency LASIEC law that was sponsored by the Lagos state government. It was presented, read on the floor of the House of Assembly on the same day, went through first, second and third   reading on the on the same day, passed into law that same day and signed into law by Governor Ambode on that same day.”

APC acclaimed winners

Speaking further, he insisted thus: “All these happened in just three days to the election. There are statutory processes of law making.

There was no publication of the laws in national newspapers. There was no public hearing on the law even before the readings

“I can assure you that such laws can not be accepted anywhere in the world. Therefore, all APC acclaimed winners are not validly elected since there were no primaries.

“I hereby call on all to join me in the legal battle to disqualify all the elected APC Council Chairmen, Vice Chairmen, and Councilors. We must get LASIEC to return all the political parties that have the second highest vote. They are the only validly elected people. People must join this crusade to save democracy in Lagos and also the future of our children.”